The pole vaulters help the Tualatin track teams sweep Hillsboro.TUALATIN, Oregon – Cameron Ericksen was happy with the sunny day.But it took him a bit by surprise.He wasn’t as prepared as he could be for the dry, warm weather.But he still soared to victory.Ericksen, a Tualatin High School senior, placed first in the pole vault competition when the Timberwolves hosted Hillsboro in a Pacific Conference track and field dual meet held April 4 at Tualatin High School.“I’m happy with the sun, but I didn’t think it would be like this,” Ericksen said after the competition. “I thought it would still be rainy, so I didn’t have a big enough pole with me today. There is a bigger one I could have used, but I left it at home – lesson learned.”With his win in the pole vault, as well as in the high jump, Ericksen helped the Tualatin boys score a 76-69 win over Hillsboro. The Timberwolf girls made it a sweep as they edged Hillsboro by a 74-71 margin.“We’re doing pretty good,” said Tualatin sophomore Laura Taylor, who, like Ericksen, triumphed in the pole vault event at last week’s meet.Ericksen, who placed fifth in the pole vault competition at last year’s Class 6A state track and field championships, has some high hopes for his senior year.“I’m hoping to consistently do 15 (feet) or 15-6,” he said. “Then, I’d love to hit it big at state. Going 16 feet is my state goal.”Ericksen, who had a mark of 13-6 at last year’s Class 6A state championships, easily cleared 11-0 to start last week’s meet at Tualatin. That wrapped up first place. So, with that in hand, Ericksen decided to move the bar up to 13-6.But, having to use the shorter pole, he missed on all three of his attempts at that height, although he did come close on his third try.“This was a huge lesson,” he said. “But I’ll brush it off – it’s just a dual meet.”
Daily Archives: April 12, 2012
Pole vaulters hit personal bests before Kansas Relays
Coach Stanley Redwine is sure that the track and field team will be ready to compete in it’s only home meet of the year, the Kansas Relays.He is just as sure that they will not be overlooking the other meets on their schedule.For now, there is still one more meet to focus on before they return to compete in Lawrence. This weekend, the team travels to Texas once again for the UTEP Invitational with a chance to get into a rhythm the week before the Kansas Relays. Rhythm is everything, according to pole vault coach Tom Hays. Rhythm in the team’s activities, training, and especially in the vault.“If you get in the rhythm in the vault your confidence goes a lot higher,” Hays said. “You might be able to grip up two or three fingers. You’re just going to hit it more elastic and bigger with rhythm.”Sophomore Alex Bishop and freshman Greg Lupton appeared to get into rhythm last week at the Emporia State Relays, where they both jumped to a new personal record. Bishop’s jump currently ranks 17th in the NCAA, while Lupton stands at 30th.Coach Hays has teased the two, saying that they were still jumping on high school poles; it was not until recently that they switched to bigger poles. These are the poles that will allow them to vault over the bigger heights and move to the next level of competition. These new poles require Bishop and Lupton to be faster, stronger and more efficient in their technique.
DalCais sets aim high
Freshman pole-vaulter shatters records, wins SUNYAC championship.It is a rare occurrence when a freshman is able to break a school record in his or her first competition. It is even more rare when they break their own record in the same season – twice. But for freshman pole-vaulter Brittany DalCais, this is exactly what has happened for the women’s track and field star this year.DalCais’ pole-vaulting career began at the end of her freshman year at West Milford High School in Hewitt, N.J., when her coach recommended that she try her hand at the sport. It proved to be a perfect match and DalCais continued pole-vaulting throughout her high school career before coming to Oswego State in the fall.“I love the track team,” DalCais said. “Some people join sororities, I have my track team. They’re like my family.”DalCais needed just one meet to shatter a previous pole-vaulting record set by Katy Schmidt and Abby Oliver. Schmidt and Oliver previously held the record for highest pole-vault at 9 feet 6 ¼ inches. In her first collegiate meet for the Lakers at the St. Lawrence Invitational on Jan. 21, DalCais Continue reading
Arizona Division I 4/12/12
Pole Vault
1. 12 Garrett Starkey 16′ 0.00 AZ Basha
* 2. 11 Grant Sisserson 15′ 9.00 AZ Horizon
3. 11 Cole Walsh 15′ 6.00 AZ Brophy College Prep
4. 11 Nathan Hiett 15′ 3.00 AZ Basha
* 5. 11 Scott Marshall 15′ 0.75 AZ Desert Vista
* 12 Matt Arsenau 15′ 0.75 AZ Desert Vista
7. 11 Bo Haddock 14′ 6.00 AZ Deer Valley
* 8. 12 Tommy Kennedy 14′ 3.26 AZ Desert Vista
* 11 Justin Tobin 14′ 3.26 AZ Desert Vista
* 10. 11 Jon Giles 14′ 0.75 AZ Desert Vista
Pole Vault
1. 12 Hunter Wilkes 12′ 0.00 AZ Hamilton
Arizona Division II 4/12/12
| Pole Vault | |||||
| 1.10Will Hooper15′ 0.00 AZMoon Valley | |||||
| 2.12William Wallace14′ 6.41 AZSalpointe Catholic | |||||
| 3.11Adrian Childress14′ 6.00 AZCopper Canyon | |||||
| 4.10Timothy Duckworth14′ 3.00 AZArcadia | |||||
| 5.12Sayre Stewart14′ 0.11 AZCanyon Del Oro | |||||
| 6.11Thomas Balls14′ 0.00 AZThunderbird | |||||
| 12Jack Miller14′ 0.00 AZCasa Grande Union | |||||
| 11Tyler Cone14′ 0.00 AZMoon Valley | |||||
| 9.12Brad Linder13′ 3.00 AZMoon Valley | |||||
| 12Johnny Lander13′ 3.00 AZCanyon Del Oro | |||||
Horizon vs Cactus/Central
| Pole Vault – Varsity – Finals | |||||
| 1 | Grant Sisserson | 15-09.00 | HORI | 11 | |
| 2 | Zach Hinderman | 13-00.00 | HORI | 11 | |
| Pole Vault – Varsity – Finals | |||||
| 1 | Katewyn Hoppis | 6-06.00 | HORI | 10 | |
Cesar Chavez vs. Carl Hayden and Agua Fria
| Pole Vault – Varsity – Finals | |||||
| Zach Stenner | 12′ | AFHS | 11 | ||
| Chris Lenzie | 12 | AFHS | 12 | ||
| Nate Diaz | 10’3″ | AFHS | 11 | ||
| Raider Diaz | 8’6″ | AFHS | 9 | ||
| Pole Vault – Varsity – Finals | |||||
| Callie Ocock | 9’9″ | AFHS | 12 | ||
| Tatum Foster | 8 | AFHS | 9 | ||
| Tori Cabral | 8 | AFHS | 10 | ||
| Stephany Lopez | 7 | AFHS | 11 | ||
Centennial HS vs. Apollo HS
| Pole Vault – Varsity – Finals | |||||
| 1 | Micah Sparks | 12’6 | APOL | 12 | |
| 5 | Kaler Morris | 10 | APOL | 10 | |
| Pole Vault – Varsity – Finals | |||||
| Brazil Chavez | 8’6 | APOL | 11 | ||
| 3 | Brenna Gloetzner | 7’6 | APOL | 12 | |
Catalina Foothills and Desert Christian at Sabino– 4/11/12
| Pole Vault – Varsity – Finals | |||||
| 1 | Nicholas Underwood | 9′ | CFHS | 12 | |
| 2 | Kevin Scheeler | 9′ 0″ | SABI | 12 | |
| 3 | Nick Orzech | 8′ 6″ | SABI | 12 | |
| 4 | Brandon Colston | 8′ 0″ | SABI | - | |
| Pole Vault – Varsity – Finals | |||||
| 1 | Elle Rubner | 6’6 | CFHS | 11 | |
| 3 | Hayley Comrie | 5′ | CFHS | 9 | |
Norwin pole vaulter leads class of YWCA honorees
Does that infectious smile ever leave Kasey Kemp`s face? Undoubtedly so, but when it comes to competing in track and field, the Norwin pole vaulting star, who won a PIAA title a year ago as a junior, couldn`t be happier.Of course, as with anything else, there are roadblocks and red tape almost daily.”Oh, believe me, there have been many bad practices and meets,” said Craig Stanford, the pole vaulting coach at Norwin.But somehow, with her coaches` help, she insists, Kemp keeps it all in perspective, smiling along the way.”I basically try to do my best every day because there`s always someone else ready to do it better,” she said.Kemp, a Penn State recruit, will be among the honorees at the 18th YWCA of Westmoreland County Sportswomen Awards Banquet on Thursday at the Greensburg Ramada Hotel and Conference Center, garnering Teen of the Year.Her journey to a state championship in the pole vault wasn`t without heartache, at times wiping away that smiling portrait. After winning the 2009 WPIAL championship as a freshman, Kemp missed much of her sophomore season with a broken leg.She returned last year and set the Norwin school record in the pole vault with a height of 12 feet, 6 inches — second-best all-time in the WPIAL — before claiming the PIAA title with a jump of 12-0 to outdistance two-time WPIAL champion Larisa Debich of Hempfield.Kemp also was named a year ago to the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association first team.A gymnast at heart, she also participated in track and field as a long and high jumper. She embraced the pole vault as a freshman when her coaches suggested she consider competing in it because of her natural athletic ability.”I did a lot of drills. I studied Continue reading
Former pole vaulter doing well after tragic mishap
RAPID CITY, S.D. (WTW) — Every once in a while, James Vollmer has a flashback to the accident.It mostly happens when he’s coaching high school pole vaulting and sees a mistake that could result in a dangerous landing.”I have to look away,” he says.Vollmer, 24, knows a thing or two about the repercussions of dangerous landings.On Dec. 1, 2010, the former Rapid City Stevens High School track standout was practicing pole vaulting at Jamestown College in Jamestown, N.D.He began his vault without incident. But somewhere along the way, it all went terribly wrong. To this day, Vollmer still doesn’t know exactly what happened, and he had no coach to offer any insight. But rather than landing safely on the mat surrounding the vault, Vollmer fell 15 feet directly down into the metal vault box — the slot where the pole plants.The fall severed his spinal cord — just two strands remain attached — leaving him paralyzed from the belly button down.”I remember it all, which kind of sucks,” he said.That’s the shocking and life-altering part of Vollmer’s story, but the exceptional part is what has happened since his accident.Within two days of the fall — while still in the hospital in Fargo, N.D., — Vollmer learned to transfer himself from bed to wheelchair, already working at becoming mobile “I just wanted to get out,” he says with a smile.Ten days after the accident, Vollmer transferred to Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colo., a rehabilitation facility specializing in spinal cord injuries. He threw himself into his new normal, relearning everything from rolling over to cooking. But he didn’t stop there. He also wanted to relearn how to change a light bulb and even shovel snow from the vantage of his wheelchair.
Cross vaults in Meet
Hartford, Connecticut –Wins were plentiful for Harford County collegiate track and field athletes the week before Easter.Matt Cross, a Bel Air High School grad, won the pole vault in his first competition of the spring. A senior at Messiah College, he vaulted 13-11 3/4 in a meet at York College on April 3. The win came a month after Cross placed fifth in the NCAA Division III wrestling championships, earning All-American honors and completing the season with a 41-8 record.
With Hartwig’s help, MICDS vaulter Pryor is off to flying start
Jumping over a horizontal bar five feet off the ground is quite an accomplishment.But the more daring get a kick out of going a bit bigger. Some, like Haley Pryor, prefer to fly.“The feeling of going over something then falling through the air is just so much fun,” the MICDS pole vaulter said. “I always wanted to sky dive. I guess you have to be a little crazy to do this.”Some may have deemed her a little nutty to compete in the pole vault last spring after tearing the ACL in her left knee — the one she pushes off — during volleyball season. Pryor tore it in early October, and was out of action for six months.But she returned two weeks before districts, and at sectionals broke the school record with a vault of 10-8. During the Class 3 state meet, she cleared 10 feet, which was good enough for a fourth-place medal.Pryor picked up plenty of pointers along the way from the squad’s first-year pole vault coach, who should ring a bell with fans of track: Jeff Hartwig. A two-time Olympian, Hartwig, 44, did his high school vaulting at Francis Howell. He is a former U.S. outdoor record holder and still holds the U.S. indoor record of 19-9 ¼, which he set in 2002.Two years ago, Hartwig served as pole vault coach at Howell North where his nephew, Kyle Morse, vaulted. Morse won the Class 4 state meet that year with a vault of 14-9.When Hartwig did not return to North, MICDS coach and longtime friend Jim Lohr jumped at the chance to add him to his staff.“He’s unbelievable,” Lohr said of Hartwig. “It’s rare to find a guy who can teach who competed at the highest level of the sport. He’s had a huge impact. He treats all of our vaulters like they’re all-staters.”It was Hartwig who worked with Pryor on her plant, teaching her how to get more strength Continue reading
Vault Briefs
North Central College junior Josh Winder, a Plainfield Central graduate, took second Saturday in the pole vault (16 feet, 4 inches) to help North Central win the 18-team Chicagoland Outdoor Championships at the University of Chicago.
New Martinsville, WV –Wheeling Central’s Daniel Scott set the new pole vault record at 14-07.00.
Tracy, California –Tracy High’s Justin Woo was the top local finisher at Stanford Invitational tying for fourth in the pole vault at 14 feet, 1¼ inches,
RUPERT, IDAHO – In the pole vault, Minico and Burley split the awards, with the Spartans taking first and third place and Burley at second and fourth. Minico’s Jessica Jones out vaulted her opponents by a full foot, capturing the 8-foot mark on the poles. Burley’s Megan Graham captured second place at the 7-foot mark, and Minico’s Lexi Staker posted a 6’6” vault. Burley’s Megan Mabey rounded out the group with a 6-foot vault
NCAA Division III pole vault champ Catherine Street has high aspirations
Oregon –This is going to be a busy spring for Linfield senior pole vaulter Catherine Street, the reigning NCAA Division III indoor pole vault champ.
Street is juggling 12 1/2-hour shifts at Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel as part of her nursing practicum, completion of her degree requirements, and her training schedule.
A complicating factor is that Street’s personal record of 13 feet 9 1/4 is a mere four inches from the B qualifying standard for the U.S. Olympic Trials.
“It’s very doable, especially with the way I’ve been practicing,” Street said.
Meeting the B standard won’t necessarily get Street into the trials. But, if Street can clear, say, 14-4, that probably would be good enough.
“That would be awesome,” she said.
Street was a competitive swimmer at Wilsonville High School who didn’t break out as a pole vaulter until near the end of her senior season.
By then, she said, the Division I scholarships “were basically gone.”
But Street liked Linfield’s nursing program and went the Division III route. She admits to wondering what it would have been like had she vaulted for a Division I school, but isn’t sorry she landed at Linfield.
